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Serpent's Teeth
Geography Huge spikes of volcanic stone jut from the seafloor, many rising above the water and others lurking as deadly shipping hazards. The waters here are choppy, local waves constantly broken by the stones, and the carcasses of pierced ships can be seen rising partially above the water's edge. Centuries of pirate activity and salvage have produced small cities strewn about: Hundreds, maybe thousands of immobile ships have been converted into buildings, and much of the local flotsam and jetsam has been recovered to build further on top of these. Riggings and lashings hold many of these together, even as the barnacle buildup steadily freezes them in place yet further. On the largest of the tiny islands created by this volcanism, people have dug out stones from the living rock to form dens, some of which are used as homes and others as safehouses or even treasure rooms. Cities resemble mazes of scaffolding, broken ships, bridges, ladders, and the rope used to tie it all together. Even so, many denizens still navigate by water, though usually in dinghies or canoes to reduce the danger of the area and to slip through smaller openings. Underneath the water line, thermal vents provide warmth and attract populations of sea creatures for the natives to consume. Shipwrecks that have fully sunken are altered and repurposed as buildings for the region's aquatic dwellers as well. While the region's permanent population is relatively small owing to the lack of available landmass (even if some species are not necessarily troubled by living in the waters instead), there is quite a large population of traders, merchants, pirates, and naval men passing through at any one time. The region is an excellent rest stop for those travelling by sea, and a good place to refill on supplies or to offload (sometimes illicit) goods. Notable Terrain Features The spring sea is often shrouded in fog, compounding the dangers already present in the Teeth. Frustratingly, one of the thickest fogbanks can nearly always be found at the Bleak Harbor, the largest docking point acceptably safe from the deadly stones. Though the smarter inhabitants use chemical fires to relay their position and avoid unnecessary collisions during this time of the year, the thick fog is nevertheless a major hazard for docking ships. While it blessedly shrouded the Teeth in springtime from warships hunting pirates, it's merely a hazard now. One of the few remaining active volcanoes in the Serpent's Teeth, the Billowing Floor blows terrible amounts of ash into the water and regularly throws extremely hot and loose magma to the surface. While it soon cools due to the presence of seawater, it floats upon the surface and forms a mushroom-like structure, at least until the next eruption blows it apart. This cycle blasts floating stones far and wide, and many small ones can be seen upon the surrounding sea. People The Serpent's Teeth contains no unique race and it is difficult to say which people settled the area first, but over two hundred years of piracy, the region has developed a large and diverse population. Humans, Sympol, Quill, Islanders, and many other species can be seen moving along the many planks, chatting and trading upon the decks of grounded ships and stone terraces. Underneath the waves, aquatic races operate in a similar manner, carving out niches and trading with each other. Resources Gold, Pumice and Rum are all exported from the islands. The Serpent's Teeth are not exactly great for vegetation and fresh water can be scarce, but both are available from seaweed and the frequent rains. The true scarcity is fruit, leading to many tragic deaths via scurvy. Religion Most of the pirates in the region worship a deity known only as the Tempest Queen, a goddess of the Stormy Sea who insists that the strong will rise to power over the weak and that taking from those too weak or foolish to defend themselves is the natural way of things. She is far from an untouchable godly ideal, and what few depictions of her there are show a woman at once foul and beautiful, unwashed but radiant. References http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=19463128&postcount=1351 Category:Regions Category:Island Regions Category:Regions of Telluris Category:Island Regions of Telluris